


green is the colour of love, not jealousy

by MoonlightSalsa



Series: Miscellaneous Mix 'n' Match [2]
Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Falling In Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Rarepair, im dead serious about this, slightly awkward romance, unconventional relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-11-07 12:19:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17960375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightSalsa/pseuds/MoonlightSalsa
Summary: A collection of Ace/Arturo oneshots and drabbles, detailing their relationship and their times together.And yes, you read that correctly. Ace and Arturo.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys, you read the summary and the tags. I'm serious about this, this isn't meant to be crack, though if you end up viewing it that way, I won't blame you. This pairing is so out there that it might as well be crack. 
> 
> You're probably wondering how I came to arrive at this. It all sort of started when I was over on Fanfiction.net reading Ace/Snake and then I got the brilliant idea to ship Ace with my second-favourite member of the Gangreen Gang: Arturo. 
> 
> But nevertheless, I do hope you enjoy this, and if you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear them. :)

Arturo's hand was cool on Ace's. His hand also fit perfectly into his palm, it was that small. But then again, they didn't call him Lil' Arturo for nothing. He was so short that if he and Ace wanted to hold hands properly, then Ace had to be sitting or kneeling. 

Right now, the two were sitting on the front porch, watching the sun sink behind the numerous piles of garbage. The other three were inside the shack doing god knows what. 

Ace began absentmindedly rubbing circles on the back of Arturo's hand with his thumb. Almost immediately, he felt warmth press against his lower arm as Arturo leaned in closer to him. 

"It's nice out, ain't it?" Ace said, looking down at him. 

"Sí," was the sleepy reply. 

Ace laughed a little. "Tired?" 

"Mmn." 

"I'm not." 

"That's 'cause you drank a ton of Power Animal today." 

Ace laughed again and playfully nudged him, though it was probably true. Power Animal was probably the most potent energy drink around. He wasn't tired in the slightest, even though he'd drank the stuff earlier in the morning. 

On the flip side, Arturo was ready to drop any second now. Ace took the time to wrap his arm around him, encircling him with the warmth of his arm. 

Arturo appreciated that, and he mumbled "you're so warm..." 

And when Ace felt his boyfriend lean into him once more, resting his head against his hip, they both let out a content sigh in the cool twilight air.


	2. Chapter 2

When Arturo started sleeping in Ace's bed, the reaction from the rest of the gang was surprisingly minimal. 

Snake raised his eyebrows, Big Billy giggled and Grubber blew a raspberry to himself, but neither of them said anything. And Ace was fine with that. He'd rather it didn't come up in conversation. 

And he found he quite liked sharing a bed with someone he cared about. It felt fine. It felt right.


	3. Chapter 3

Ace was lying on his stomach on the wooden floor of the shack, his head and shoulders propped up by his arms. It was hard and uncomfortable, and he swore he'd gotten a splinter in his elbow. But he couldn't move, because Arturo would scold him. 

Arturo stood to the side, swiftly running his beloved comb through Ace's long greasy hair. 

"You need to take better care of yourself, mi amor," he was tutting. 

"Why? I like havin' ya do my hair." Ace said. It was true, except for how he had to lie on the floor, supporting himself up with his arms, so that Arturo could reach properly. 

Arturo smiled, his pea-green cheeks flushing bright red. Ace smiled back at him, watching out the corner of his eye as his small, deft hands worked on his hair, quick from practise. 

All of a sudden, something yanked hard on his scalp and he let out a yell of pain. 

"Sorry," Arturo said, flashing him a glance. "It was just a knot. I told you you should take better care of yourself." 

Ace rolled his eyes, and was about to retort when his scalp ached once more with white-hot pain. 

"Another knot." 

"No kiddin'." 

"I'm not hurting you too much, am I?" 

Ace waved his hand in denial. "No, Arturo, it's fine. Like ya said, I should be takin' better care of myself. But, you'll still brush my hair, won't ya?" 

Arturo gently patted the top of Ace's head. "Por supuesto, mi amor."


	4. Chapter 4

If you were to ask Snake, Grubber or Big Billy what their favourite scents were, they'd respond with pizza, orchids and strawberry-flavoured milk, respectively. 

Ace, however, would think of Arturo's shampoo. 

There were plenty of half-empty bottles that got chucked out on a daily basis, but Arturo only sought out one specific kind. His brand of choice was Gut Aussehend - which used a formula which was apparently meant to make your hair look more fuller and glossier. Arturo took a lot of pride in his appearance and wouldn't accept anything less than the promises of Gut Aussehend. 

This shampoo also smelled like orange blossom. It had the heavy twinge of chemicals, but Ace found it comforting. When they lay in bed together, he would bury his nose in Arturo's hair and breathe in the artificial fruity smell. Arturo didn't mind at all, only getting restless when he thought that Ace was messing up his hair. 

And Arturo's favourite scent was that of the almost tropical cigarette smoke that always seemed to cling to Ace's shirt, no matter how many half-empty bottles of Hawaiian Holiday soap he used.


	5. Chapter 5

Ace woke up one night to a damp feeling on his chest. When he rubbed his eyes to clear his sight a bit more, he saw that it was Arturo, crying softly and hiding his face in Ace's chest. 

"Is everythin' all right? Ya feelin' okay?" Ace asked, concerned for his boyfriend's wellbeing. 

Arturo looked up at him with red, puffy eyes. "No." 

"Then whassa matter, huh?" Ace asked gently, stroking his hair. 

"I-It's nothing imp-p-portant." 

"Are ya sure?" 

Arturo was silent for a few seconds. Ace assumed he wasn't going to spill the beans unless prompted. 

"Hey, you can tell me, eh? Don't worry about the others." Ace's eyes flitted across the room to the other three gang members, who were thankfully all still asleep. 

Arturo didn't say anything for another few seconds, before deciding to talk. 

"It's my stupid jaw! It's horrible! I struggle with eating and I, I, I can't kiss you properly! Janto, lo odio tanto!" 

Ace was quite taken aback by this. He'd never one heard Arturo complain about having an underbite. He didn't even know it bothered him so much, though it was true that he had trouble with kissing. Ace had to think: how could he comfort him about something he didn't have a whole lot of control over? 

Hoping he wouldn't screw up this conversation, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. 

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it, eh? We ain't all perfect." 

Arturo stared at him with wide eyes reflecting the moonlight. He'd stopped crying, at least. 

"And besides," Ace continued. "I might be a better kisser, but you're a better hugger." Which was technically true. Arturo gave the best hugs he'd ever had, even though his arms barely circled his waist. 

This cheered Arturo up greatly, and his face lit up with a huge smile. "Thanks, Ace," he said as he threw his arms around Ace's neck. 

"I love ya so much, don't ever forget that."

"I won't. Now show me how good of a kisser you are, since you boasted about it." 

Ace grinned. "With pleasure." He brushed aside Arturo's hair and gently kissed his forehead. "Later, you're gonna show me how good of a hugger you can be." 

Arturo smiled, and smiled even wider still when Ace softly pecked his cheeks and the tip of his nose, before moving lower. He kissed Arturo's wrists and the tips of his fingers before lifting up his sleeping shirt to kiss his chest and stomach, then his hipbones, and continued to move lower and lower until Arturo started squealing so loud he woke up the rest of the gang.


	6. Chapter 6

The City of Townsville...is enjoying a lovely warm summer's day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the people are smiling, and Ace and Lil' Arturo are at the park, enjoying each other's company! 

"Ahh," Ace sighed, leaning back in the park bench and folding his arms behind his head. "This is the life." 

"Sí. All we're missing is a couple of cold drinks." Arturo agreed. 

"Yeah, I could go for a drink right about now." Ace said, standing up and looking out across the park. 

"What do you see, Ace?" 

"Hey Arturo, how 'bout we have some fun, eh?" 

"What kind of fun are you talking?" 

Ace pointed up the hill. "See that old lady? The one feedin' the birds? I bet she's got some dough on her. So I was thinkin': how 'bout we race each other to the top of the hill? First one there gets to rob the old bag. Whaddya say?" 

"Aww man no, you always beat me!" Arturo protested. "My legs are too short!" 

"Aww, come on, Arturo," Ace coaxed. "I'll go easy on ya, I promise." 

"Fine." 

"Alright, ready, set, go!" And Ace took off. 

"Hey!" And Arturo hopped off the bench after him. 

Ace stayed true to his word and slowed down significantly, letting Arturo catch up to him. Arturo pumped his little legs up and down faster than he ever had before and overtook his boyfriend. 

The old lady must have heard them coming, because she screamed in terror and scampered off. 

Arturo reached the top of the hill first and stopped to gaze at the old lady in defeat, but he'd stopped so abruptly that Ace collided with him, tripping over him and sending them both tumbling down the other side of the hill. 

When they reached the bottom, Ace was on top of Arturo. Both of them were covered in daisies and dandelions that had become caught in their hair, and they laughed as they stared lovingly at each other, tired but happy. 

"Umm..." Said a voice. 

The boys looked up to see Mojo Jojo standing before them, wearing a jet pack and holding a massive rocket launcher and staring at them quizzically. 

"Oh hey, Mojo." Ace said, with an out of breath giggle. "Lovely weather we're havin', eh?" 

Mojo's eyes widened. "What is the meaning of this? By which I mean, what is the meaning of this which is happening in front of me..." 

"Havin' an outin' with my boyfriend, anythin' wrong with that?" 

"What? Boyfriend?" 

"Yeah, we're gay, so what?" 

"I did not think you liked each other that way. By which I mean, I do not think you two would ever..." 

"We get it. What are you doin' with that?" Ace asked, pointing at the rocket launcher. 

Mojo held it up proudly. "I'm going to fight the Powerpuff Girls. I'm going to crush them into the ground! I'm going to destroy them once and for all, so that I will be free to rule the Earth!" He let out an evil cackle. 

"You got ten bucks?" Ace asked. 

"What?" 

"You got ten bucks? We were gonna rob an old lady, but she ran off and we're thirsty as hell, man!" 

Mojo just continued to stare at them. 

"Ten bucks! C'mon, help another couple of villians out, will ya?" 

"Umm, okay..." Mojo said slowly as he extracted ten dollars and put the money into Ace's outstretched hand. 

"I want to be payed back, you know." Mojo warned. "By that, I mean I expect you to pay me back the exact same amount which I gave to you, and-" 

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ace asked irritably. 

"Oh, umm, yes." And with that, Mojo Jojo activated his jet pack and launched into the sky. 

"Ten bucks says he's gonna get his ass kicked." Arturo said, making a grab for the money. Ace held it out of reach and laughed. 

"No chance of you gettin' all this to yourself. Now, whaddya say we go get something to drink, eh?" 

"Sí." Arturo responded as Ace gently placed a kiss on his sweaty cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Ace had a nice laugh, provided it wasn't sarcastic or malicious. And it was even better when Arturo was the cause of that nice laugh. 

Sometimes it was a joke, and sometimes it was something that Arturo did, whether it be getting into a tickling match or otherwise. 

The citizens of Townsville may not expect it, but Ace Copular loved getting into tickling matches with Arturo. Partially because Arturo knew exactly where his weak spots were. And although his hands were tiny, he could still strike without warning, with ease. 

Sometimes they would get too into it, and they'd end up sweaty, halfway across the shack floor, and, more often than not, the others would get pissy with them for disturbing the peace and quiet. 

But it was all worth it, just to hear Ace's laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

Falling asleep in Ace's arms was like falling asleep wrapped in a thin, bony, warm blanket. 

Ace never wore a shirt when sleeping unless it was too cold to go without one, which meant that while his arms weren't as soft, Arturo could feel more of his body heat radiating from his heart. 

Arturo had migrated to this country when he was a small child, yet he'd felt like an outside from day one. Wrapped in his living, breathing blanket, however, Arturo realised it didn't matter how much of an outsider he felt like; someone wanted him here, someone very dear to him, and he wouldn't leave him for the world.


	9. Chapter 9

"It's true!" They squealed. 

Ace and Arturo looked up from their slightly steamy "cuddling" session under a cherry blossom tree in Bonsai Park to see the Powerpuff Girls looking back at them, fascinated.

"Mojo Jojo was right!" Blossom announced, eyes gleaming. 

Ace sat up and pulled his shirt up to cover his chest. "What? That baboon told ya?" 

"He sure did!" Fuzzy Lumpkins emerged from behind a bush. "He called me up an' told me an' I said it was a loodicrus story! But it turned out ta be true!" 

Arturo hid himself under Ace's jacket in shame and Ace himself continued to stare in shock. 

"I never woulda thought you two would get together." Bossman said as he and the Amoeba Boys appeared beside them. Slim was grinning like a dope. 

"And you know I couldn't miss out on the town gossip." Sedusa added. 

"What? Baldie here found out? I-"

"Oh please," scoffed Princess Morbucks. "My daddy buys me movies with much better romance that this." She snorted pretentiously. 

"Yeah, but your movies suck, Princess." Buttercup said. 

"Excuse me, but where is the woman?! Do you guys like, hate women or something?!" Femme Fatale shrieked. 

Ace was pretty offended, to say the least. "When the hell did your ass get outta jail?" 

"That's not important. What is important is that-" Femme Fatale was cut off before she could launch into a misandristic rant. 

"Oh golly, the rumours are true!" The Mayor suddenly shouted, dashing over to the group with Miss Bellum in tow. The redhead took notice of Ace's embarrassed face and pitiful attempts to cover himself up, and she sighed. 

"Mayor, I think we should give them some privacy..." 

"Oh, but I have to see this!" The Mayor petulantly demanded. 

"Could this get any worse?!" Ace yelled. 

Just then the clouds swirled into one another in a bright red mass, and Him's face appeared. 

"Ah, here are the two lovebirds," he said airily. "Mojo called me up and told me all about it!" 

Arturo groaned from under the jacket, and Ace had had enough. "MOJOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" He roared at the heavens. 

Above the commotion, Bubbles whispered to Blossom, "Aww, I think they're so cute together!" 

"Yeah," Buttercup said, sticking her tongue out. "If you like gross green guys like that."


	10. Chapter 10

"Do you ever think," Arturo said as he and Ace lay on the hood of an old and rusty white car in the dump, gazing up at the stars. "that there's life out there somewhere? Up in the stars?" 

Ace yawned and adjusted his sunglasses. "Dunno. But d'ya reckon they'd invade us, if there was any out there? That'd be pretty cool." 

"No! Remember when we got invaded by broccoli? That wasn't cool at all, mi amor!" Arturo playfully punched Ace in the hip. 

"Oh come on, it wasn't too bad." 

"Yes it was!" 

Ace smirked at Arturo's insistence. "Nah, nothing bad happened at all." 

"You...you!" Arturo began pounding on Ace's hipbones with his tiny fists. "Were you blind?! It was chaotic!" 

Ace laughed and flipped over, pinning Arturo's hands to the hood and leaning over him. "Yeah, I was blind," he said, turning up the charm in his voice full-blast and staring deep into his boyfriend's wide eyes. "Love is blind, after all." 

Arturo huffed and groaned at the corniness. Ace chuckled and leaned down to kiss him. But Arturo moved at the last second and Ace ended up with a mouthful of his hair.


	11. Chapter 11

The quiet nights were always nice, a good chance to just take a step back from Big Billy's whining about something or other, Grubber's violin playing and the loud and sometimes violent card games, fuelled by cheap alcohol. 

On one of these nights, Ace found himself resting on the bonnet of an old rust-coloured clapper, a cigarette in one hand and Lil' Arturo curled up in his other arm asleep, one tiny fist clutching the white and purple material of his shirt. 

The air was crisp and slightly hazy from woody smoke emanating from somewhere close by. The stars twinkled side-by-side with the window lights from the skyscrapers in a blackish-blue sky. The sounds of engines revving, horns blaring and general city night life noises drifted over into the city dump.

Ace took a drag of his cigarette and sighed. He liked some peace, and as the leader of the Gangreen Gang, he felt like he deserved some. It was not easy work, leading a gang, but hey, someone had to do it. Plus, there were some perks, such as everyone obeying your every order after all, especially if it was to get some peace. 

Arturo stirred in his sleep and mumbled something in Spanish, but even he was quiet. It wasn't that big of a surprise, as Arturo had generally always been the least talkative. Even Grubber could find more to say than him. 

But eventually Arturo would wake, ask what had happened during his nap, ask how Ace was, call him by that pet name Ace loved hearing, and so on. 

And Ace couldn't wait.


	12. Chapter 12

Arturo sometimes asked himself: when did Ace become so sentimental? 

They'd been together for about a year, and Arturo once questioned what happened to the snarky, confident leader of the Gangreen Gang that he first met. The answer was that he was still there, but he was now showing a much more soft, gentle, _loving_ side. And it wasn't just towards Arturo, but everyone else in the gang (though, "loving" might be the wrong word to describe that). Being in love appeared to have mellowed him out significantly, though he could, and would, bite back if need be. 

But why did he fall in love with Ace? Was it the way the wind tousled his hair as he stared at the setting sun over his sunglasses, all tall and strong? Was it how he handled their pre-romantic relationship, with a more softened touch, without it feeling like it was because Arturo was the youngest and therefore the "baby"? Was it the way his face assumed a content, peaceful look when he slept? Was it all three, and more? 

And what was it that made Ace fall in love with him? He didn't think he had much going for him, honestly.

Ace, however, thought otherwise.


End file.
